Fort Edward (village), New York
Encyclopedia
Fort Edward is a village in Washington County
, New York
, United States
. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village population was 3,141 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the brother of King George III.
The village is part of the town of Fort Edward
.
and Champlain River valleys. The Indians called the area around Fort Edward Wahcoloosencoochaleva, which means "The Great Carrying Place." At this point, the Hudson River is no longer navigable to the north. Travelers have to make a portage
to get to Lake George
. This unique location on the "Great War Path" meant that the area was destined to be settled and fortified early.
As early as 1709 during Queen Anne's War
, a stockade (Fort Nicholson) was erected in the area due to its strategic importance - only to be abandoned and then constructed again as Fort Lydus, the trading post
of John Lydus. In 1731, the fortification was reconstructed as Fort Lyman. Sir William Johnson renamed it Fort Edward during the French and Indian War
in 1755. Also at this time, a large military complex was constructed on nearby Roger's Island. Today this site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NHRP). Another smaller fort was constructed on the opposite shore of the Hudson River.
During the American Revolution
, the area was taken by British forces under John Burgoyne
in 1777.
in 1823 linked the area to the north and south and replaced a smaller canal that by-passed local rapids.
The village of Fort Edward incorporated
in 1849, setting itself off from the town of Fort Edward.
, the village has a total area of 1.9 square miles (5.0 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (7.25%) is water.
New York Route 197
joins US Route 4 at Fort Edward, and the Champlain Canal joins the Hudson River
south of the village.
Fort Edward is on the opposite shore of the Hudson River
from the town of Moreau
in Saratoga County
.
of 2000, there were 3,141 people, 1,247 households, and 835 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,751.1 people per square mile (677.5/km²). There were 1,399 housing units at an average density of 779.9 per square mile (301.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.69% White, 0.35% Black or African American
, 0.19% Native American, 0.38% Asian, and 0.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population.
There were 1,247 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples
living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $32,347, and the median income for a family was $39,550. Males had a median income of $35,380 versus $22,361 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $17,555. About 7.9% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.
Washington County, New York
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,216. It was named for the Revolutionary War general George Washington...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village population was 3,141 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the brother of King George III.
The village is part of the town of Fort Edward
Fort Edward (town), New York
Fort Edward is a town in and the county seat of Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 5,892 at the 2000 census....
.
Early history
Fort Edward or "The Fort" has been strategically important during its long and illustrious history, for it commands the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
and Champlain River valleys. The Indians called the area around Fort Edward Wahcoloosencoochaleva, which means "The Great Carrying Place." At this point, the Hudson River is no longer navigable to the north. Travelers have to make a portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
to get to Lake George
Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
. This unique location on the "Great War Path" meant that the area was destined to be settled and fortified early.
As early as 1709 during Queen Anne's War
Queen Anne's War
Queen Anne's War , as the North American theater of the War of the Spanish Succession was known in the British colonies, was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought between France and England, later Great Britain, in North America for control of the continent. The War of the...
, a stockade (Fort Nicholson) was erected in the area due to its strategic importance - only to be abandoned and then constructed again as Fort Lydus, the trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
of John Lydus. In 1731, the fortification was reconstructed as Fort Lyman. Sir William Johnson renamed it Fort Edward during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
in 1755. Also at this time, a large military complex was constructed on nearby Roger's Island. Today this site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NHRP). Another smaller fort was constructed on the opposite shore of the Hudson River.
During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the area was taken by British forces under John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
in 1777.
Post Colonial history
The completion of the Champlain CanalChamplain Canal
The Champlain Canal is a canal that connects the south end of Lake Champlain to the Hudson River in New York. It was simultaneously constructed with the Erie Canal and is now part of the New York State Canal System and the Lakes to Locks Passage....
in 1823 linked the area to the north and south and replaced a smaller canal that by-passed local rapids.
The village of Fort Edward incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
in 1849, setting itself off from the town of Fort Edward.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 1.9 square miles (5.0 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (7.25%) is water.
New York Route 197
New York State Route 197
New York State Route 197 is an east–west state highway in eastern New York, United States. It runs from U.S. Route 9 in the Saratoga County town of Moreau east to NY 40 in Argyle. NY 197 has a short overlap with U.S...
joins US Route 4 at Fort Edward, and the Champlain Canal joins the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
south of the village.
Fort Edward is on the opposite shore of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
from the town of Moreau
Moreau, New York
Moreau is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 13,826 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the northeast part of the county, north of Saratoga Springs. Moreau is named after Jean Victor Moreau, a French general, who visited the area just before the town was...
in Saratoga County
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,141 people, 1,247 households, and 835 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,751.1 people per square mile (677.5/km²). There were 1,399 housing units at an average density of 779.9 per square mile (301.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.69% White, 0.35% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.19% Native American, 0.38% Asian, and 0.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population.
There were 1,247 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $32,347, and the median income for a family was $39,550. Males had a median income of $35,380 versus $22,361 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $17,555. About 7.9% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.